Mirwaiz Farooq urges J&K govt to stand up for youth 'harassed' by security forces

Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Tuesday urged the Jammu and Kashmir government to stand up for the rights of the youth allegedly being harassed by the security agencies even after serving jail terms for illegal activities in the past.

In a post on X, Mirwaiz claimed the families of some youth who were being harassed reached out to him, saying they were feeling "distressed".

"Repeated arrests of Kashmiris -- many of whom have already completed their sentences -- serve no justice. Youth are being targeted. Families of the arrested have reached out to me in distress.

"Such harassment deepens the wounds and fuels mistrust and anger among people. Urge the authorities to end this punitive approach," the Mirwaiz said.

The Hurriyat chief also said the J&K government led by Omar Abdullah cannot remain a bystander to the alleged harassment.

"Also, the elected representatives of people cannot be bystanders to this, they need to fulfil their responsibility and ensure that basic rights of people are upheld," he said.